Voices
by OneConfusedNewsie
Summary: Sydney carries a disturbing secret, and when her parents find out, they send her away. She soon finds herself in the streets of New York with no place to go and that is where the adventure begins. There’s a more detailed summary in the beginning of ch
1. Betrayed

Summary: Sydney carries a disturbing secret, and when her parents find out, they send her away. She soon finds herself in the streets of New York with no place to go. After joining a gang, Sydney realizes her new friends aren't as gracious as she thought. Having no where to go, she hops a train home only to find her brother has gone to New York looking for her. Knowing if they mention her name in New York, they will be killed, Sydney returns to find them before her old gang does, finding assistance from the loveable newsies! The boys aren't in this story for the first couple chapters, so bare with me. I'll try and get to them as soon as possible.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own newsies. Not that it matters cause they're not in the next few chapters! But even when they're not in my stories, I still don't own them, nor when they are!  
  
A/N: To avoid confusion pay attention to the place and dates, cause I jump from one place to another and from one time to another. And if you haven't already read somewhere, the boys aren't in this story for a while. I'll try to update fast so I can get to them (since it's probably the only reason you're reading this) for ya.  
  
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February 1888. Everfield's Home. New Mexico  
  
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"Come play with me, Syd!" Mark, Sydney's older brother, pleaded.  
  
"Later Mark, I'm busy." Five-year-old, Sydney said from her room.  
  
"You're not busy! You're just sitting there."  
  
Sydney walked up to Mark, her blue eyes glaring at him. "I am in the middle of an important conversation!" she said before slamming the door in his face.  
  
"But you're all alone! Who are you talking to?" Mark called through the door.  
  
"None of your business!" Sydney answered.  
  
Mark sighed, ran his fingers through his dirty blonde hair, and walked away. This wasn't the first time his sister had refused to play with him because she was busy talking to someone. He just wished he knew who it was. He turned back to her door and put his ear to it, hoping to hear who his little sister thought was more important then her brother.  
  
"Sorry about that, my brother wanted to play." Sydney said, "Yes, he's very nice. I think you would like him. No, he's not like my mom at all. Oh, no he's not always like that, he was just mad that I wouldn't play with him."  
  
Mark withdrew his ear from the door. Why couldn't he hear the other person? His sister couldn't just be talking to herself. He waited another five minutes until his sister came out. "Does your friend want to play with us?" he asked trying to peer in the room.  
  
"Oh, she can't." said Sydney as she began down the hallway, "Come on! We going to play or what?" Mark looked into Sydney's bedroom to find it empty. Confused he followed his sister outside.  
  
"Hey, Syd?" Mark said quietly.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Umm. Who were you talking to in there?"  
  
"My friend, Christi," Sydney said nonchalantly.  
  
"Is your friend an imaginary one?"  
  
"Sorta," Sydney said, looking a little nervous.  
  
"What do you mean sorta, Syd?" Mark asked, now at his normal volume.  
  
"Well. It's hard to explain," Sydney said looking pensive of how to explain Christi to her brother, "I didn't make her up. She's real, but she's."  
  
"She's what, Syd?" Mark demanded.  
  
"You got to promise not to tell mom or dad first."  
  
"I promise! Now tell me!"  
  
"She's in me, like when she talks to me, can hear it in my mind."  
  
"You mean you have voices in your head?" Mark said, semi-jokingly.  
  
"Yes." Mark's jaw dropped. After a few moments of awkward silence Mark came back to his senses.  
  
"Well, I don't know what to say, Syd. If you're gonna talk to Christi anymore, I think you should just think to her, you know what I mean?"  
  
Sydney nodded and smiled, "Christi likes you."  
  
Mark smiled back, "Good to hear, Syd. Now lets play."  
  
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April 1888. Everfield's Home. New Mexico  
  
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Sydney tucked her long brown hair behind her ears as she strained her ears to hear the conversation. She knew they were talking about her again; they always talked about her. She held her breath and moved down the stairs more trying to get closer.  
  
"I don't understand, sweetie. Syd can live a normal life here. She doesn't need to go to some freak hospital ward!" Greg, Sydney's father, said trying to sound calm.  
  
"You're right, you don't understand, Greg!" Sydney's mother, Lavivian, said crying, "You just want to go on and pretend that our daughter is normal! She's not! She is anything but normal and she needs help! We need to send her before this gets any worse! I can't take anymore of this. She keeps talking to someone who's not there."  
  
"All children have imaginary friends at one point in time, honey," Greg explained softly.  
  
"This isn't an imaginary friend! She doesn't know the difference between reality and make-believe!"  
  
Sydney sighed. 'Not this again,' she thought, 'Why does Mom think that I am some kind of freak!'  
  
"She's the freak,' said Christi, 'I told you, your mom is a bad person, she just wants to get rid of you! She hates you!'  
  
'I don't think she hates me,' thought Sydney, 'She just thinks something's wrong. She's not a bad person or anything.'  
  
'Yes she is,' said Christi, 'you shouldn't be nice to her anymore. She isn't nice to you.'  
  
'Maybe you right,' Sydney thought as she went back to her parent's conversation.  
  
"Fine send her there, but remember that I was against it!" her father said sternly, "I'm going to get a drink," he added and walked out the front door before his wife could say anything. Lavivian stormed up the stairs, Sydney hid in the shadows as her mother walked by.  
  
The next day Lavivian knocked on Sydney's door. "Come in," said the voice inside. Lavivian opened the door and poked her head in.  
  
'Great, it's her,' said Christi.  
  
"Sydney, you need to pack all your things, we're going on a long trip. Pack everything, we don't know how long you'll. we'll be gone." Sydney nodded and her mother left.  
  
A few minutes later Mark came in. His usually sparkling blue eyes looked dull and hurt. He looked at his sister and sighed, he didn't want to be the one to tell her but her was 3 years older than she was and he felt it was his responsibility since she was too young to figure out what was going on. "Umm. Sydney?" She nodded. "We're not going on a trip."  
  
'That liar! I told you! Your mom hates you!' said Christi.  
  
"What do you mean? Why would Mom tell me we were than?" Sydney asked confused.  
  
Mark took a deep breath, "She taking you to a hospital, for your, er, condition."  
  
"What condition?"  
  
"Christi."  
  
'He told her!' Christi determined.  
  
"You told her!" Sydney screamed, "I trusted you, and you, you told her! I hate you! I never want to talk to you ever again!"  
  
"I didn't tell her! She knows something's wrong, she just doesn't know what! I didn't tell her! I promise!" Mark said stepping back towards the door.  
  
'Yes he did! It was him! Don't believe him Syd!' Christi continued.  
  
Sydney's cold blue eyes stared at Mark, showing pure hatred. "I don't believe you," she said calmly, "Now get out."  
  
Mark shuddered at Sydney's piercing stare, and backed out of the room. 'I thought he was a good guy,' said Christi, 'From now on, we trust no one, okay Sydney?'  
  
"Okay," Sydney said out loud. Sydney packed her stuff, wherever she was going it had to be better that where she was now. A tear streamed down her cheek, she had really loved her brother and he betrayed her. 


	2. Home and Hospitals

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July 1898. Everfield's Home. New Mexico  
  
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Nine year old, Page Everfield looked up from her dolls towards her open bedroom door. She sighed; Mark had been watching her again. She kept her deep green eyes on the door until he walked through the hall and down the stairs. She wished she knew her brother better, but he refused to talk to her, he didn't even look at her unless he thought she wasn't paying attention. She walked downstairs to the kitchen and began to wash an apple. Her father, Greg, stumbled into the kitchen. 'Great, he's drunk,' Page thought bitterly, 'again.'  
  
"Hullo Syd," Greg said, his speech slurred, "What choo up ta?"  
  
"Eating an apple, dad," Page said, forcing a smile, "And its not Syd, its Page. My name is Page, remember?"  
  
"'Course I 'member Syd," Now run 'long now."  
  
Page sighed and left the kitchen. 'Who is this Sydney person anyway?' she thought to herself, 'what a life I've got. My dad thinks my name is Sydney. My mom won't leave her room, and my brother wont talk, or even look at me! What is wrong with everyone?' Tears started streaming down Page's face as she climbed the stairs and entered her bedroom.  
  
Mark stood at the end of the hall, watching Page walk to her room, her green eyes filled with tears. She reminded him of Sydney so much. Page looked exactly like her with the exception of her deep green eyes. He shuddered remembering Sydney's piercing stare the last time they talked. He walked to her door and stood there for a moment, debating on whether or not to knock. 'She deserves to know,' he thought, 'someone needs to tell her. It is my responsibility to fill her in, just like it was with Sydney. But what if it turns out like Sydney? Can I really take another sister disowning me? I have to take the chance.'  
  
Page sat on her bed, hugging a teddy bear she had. To her surprise someone had knocked on her door. No one had ever talked to her before, with the exception of her drunken father. 'Not that he ever talked to me,' she thought sadly, 'he's always talking to Sydney.'  
  
Mark waited for a response and when he didn't receive one he decided to open the door and walk in anyway. Page sat on her bed hugging a stuffed animal, Sydney's favorite teddy bear. His eyes watered at the thought of Sydney but he held back tears and continued to cross the room towards Page's bed. 'Be a man,' he thought to himself, 'your 18, be a man.'  
  
Page just stared at Mark in confusion. Whenever she entered a room he would leave, and now he had voluntarily entered a room she was occupying. Mark sat next to Page on her bed stared at the wall, never looking at Page. He began the speech he had rehearsed so many times before.  
  
"I don't think I need to ask if you want to know why things are the way the are here. You see, before you were born I had a little sister."  
  
"Sydney?" Page asked quietly.  
  
"Yea, Sydney," Mark continued, "Well everything was really good, except Sydney had a friend, that well umm. Mom didn't really like."  
  
"Christi," Page said quietly. Mark looked at her puzzled, not knowing how Page knew about Christi. "Sometimes I hear mom talking in her sleep. She curses Christi and blames her for everything," Page said lightly.  
  
"Umm. yea."  
  
"Who is Christi?"  
  
Mark thought a moment, Sydney was right; it was hard to explain Christi to people. "Well, like I said before, she was Sydney's friend. Well, more of an imaginary friend. Christi was a voice in Sydney's head." He stole a glance at Page to see what her reaction was, but she just looked at the floor frowning. "Well mom thought that Sydney was crazy so she sent Syd away to some hospital in the east." Mark's eyes started to water. "She thought I told mom about Christi and wouldn't even talk to me when she left. I never even got to say goodbye," he trailed off, a single tear streaming down his cheek.  
  
'No! Be a man, damn it!' he thought again, quickly wiping the tear away, 'Don't cry, you need to be a man!'  
  
"That still doesn't explain why everything is the way it is," Page said angrily, "You just told me who Sydney is, not why Dad is a drunk who thinks I'm her, not why Mom won't leave her room, and not why you wouldn't even talk to me until now! I mean you still can't even look at me!"  
  
Mark looked guiltily at Page. 'How could she be so strong? How could she put up with all this,' he thought in disbelief.  
  
"The night Mom and Dad decided to send her to the hospital, Dad left to go get drunk, he just never stopped. Mom won't leave her room because she knows she's to blame for Sydney being gone. As for why I couldn't look at you and why Dad thinks you're Sydney. well you look exactly like her, except for your eyes, Syd had intense blue eyes. They always showed her emotions, no matter how hard she tried to hide them."  
  
The two sat in silence both deep in thought. "Why doesn't she come back?" Page asked.  
  
"Mom won't admit she's done anything wrong, Dad's too drunk, and no one will tell me the hospital because they don't want me to see her," Mark said miserably.  
  
Page smiled, and Mark looked at her, perplexed. "Well, I guess it's up to me to find out where she is so we can go visit her," she said, like it was so simple.  
  
"What?"  
  
Page rolled her eyes at her brother. "The hospital would have to send letters to Mom and Dad, reporting how Syd was doing. All we have to do is find them," her smile broadened, "I bet they're in the attic."  
  
"How do you know?" Mark asked, not knowing how Page had any idea.  
  
"Does anyone ever go up there?" Page asked exasperated.  
  
"No."  
  
"Of course not! They would never expect us to go up there! Get a clue Mark!"  
  
"Okay, we'll look tonight after Mom and Dad go to sleep," Mark said trying to sound confident.  
  
"Yea, ok Mark."  
  
Mark left the room and Page picked her teddy bear back up. Mark was a real nice guy, a little slow, but nice. 'I'm glad he's talking to me now,' Page thought happily, 'Maybe things will change around here.'  
  
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June 1898. St. Mary's Mental Hospital. Virginia  
  
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"So, Sydney Everfield, what do you think about Ms. Peel?" the councilor asked from across her large oak desk.  
  
"She was nice, I guess. I don't understand Ms.?"  
  
"Mrs. Montano."  
  
"Right. As I was saying, I don't understand why I have switched from Ms. Peel, to you. Don't get me wrong, ma'am, but it just seems unnecessary," Sydney said politely.  
  
'I don't know why you're talking to her Syd. This is a waste of time, there's nothing wrong with you now tell her to fuck off,' Christi said bitterly.  
  
"Well," Mrs. Montano said, "Ms. Peel is a councilor for our more serious patients, and the staff has agreed that your case isn't as bad as your mother said."  
  
Sydney smiled, "Funny you should mention my mother. Now I never told Ms. Peel this, but I feel that you are more trustworthy than her."  
  
"I thought we weren't going to trust anyone anymore. Remember what happened with Mark?' Christi said as Sydney continued.  
  
"Well my mother, was an alcoholic, and, and she hated me!" Sydney exclaimed in a fit of fake sobs, "She didn't know what to do with me, so she said I was crazy and sent me here!"  
  
Mrs. Montano looked at Sydney skeptically, then down at Sydney's files. "I see," she started, "But it says here, that you proceeded to talk to an imaginary person."  
  
"Mrs. Montano," Sydney interrupted, who had stopped crying, deciding to take another approach "I admit that when I came here I did talk to an 'imaginary person'. May I clarify that when I came her I was merely 5 years old, and most 5 year olds have imaginary friends, am I right?"  
  
"Umm. Yes."  
  
"So either I am a normal, healthy person, or every 5 year old child is crazy. And I would also like to say that just like every other person in the country with an imaginary friend, I have outgrown mine."  
  
Mrs. Montano looked at Sydney, trying to tell if she was lying, but quickly gave up and wrote something down. "I believe you and I will see that you get released as soon as possible. These ten years you have spent here were a waste. You are clearly a healthy young girl. You may go."  
  
Sydney smiled and rose from her seat but hesitated for a moment before speaking again, "Mrs. Montano? Would it be okay, if instead of going home, I could go somewhere else. Maybe an orphanage where I could maybe, find parents that really love me?"  
  
Mrs. Montano smiled; Sydney was a good girl caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. "Yes Sydney."  
  
"Thanks," Sydney said smiling, as she left the office to her room.  
  
'My goodness Syd! You're a genius,' said Christi, 'we should start giving you more credit.'  
  
'Yea, that would be nice,' thought Sydney, 'I can't believe I convinced the ugly brute that you were simply a imaginary friend.'  
  
'So why the orphanage, Syd?' Christi asked bewildered.  
  
"You'll see," Sydney said smiling.  
  
"I'll see what?" a boy sitting in the visitor center, obviously nervous to be there.  
  
"I wasn't talking to you."  
  
The boy looked around the deserted room, and shrugged. 'I am in a mental hospital after all,' the thought as Sydney walked away.  
  
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A/N: I hope this makes sense to you guys! When I read it I know what's going on, but then it's me, so for all I know, this story might not make any sense to the outside world. Please review! I want to hear (read) if you like it, hate it, or anything else you may want to tell me. Any hopes, dreams, aspirations? Well push that little button down there, and do your thing! Thanks! 


	3. The Orphanage

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July 1898. Everfield's Home. New Mexico  
  
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Mark and Page shuffled around the attic looking in random boxes that could contain letters about Sydney.  
  
"I found them!" Page claimed excitedly after 45 minutes of searching.  
  
"Shh!" Mark retorted, taking some of the letters from Page. Mark opened the letter and read it. He read each letter until he found a letter that was sent a mere week ago. "Dear Mr. and Mrs. Everfield," he quietly read aloud, "We have decided that your daughter, Sydney Everfield, is a normal teenager with no mental disorders. We have decided that the 'other personality' you referred to was simply Sydney's imaginary friend, which most children obtain at her age. We are releasing Sydney on the 8th, however we have decided instead of sending her home, where you are clearly unable to take care of her, Sydney will be sent to an orphanage, which she, herself, has requested. If you wish to visit her at the orphanage, which is doubtful since you have not visited in the ten years she has spent at the hospital, listed below is the address of the orphanage. 2074 N. Washington St., Brooklyn, New York. She's in New York!"  
  
"So when are we gonna go to New York?" Page asked.  
  
"Go? New York? Us?"  
  
"Yea," Page said, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Okay, okay," said Mark, "We'll save up some money and take a train to New York as soon as we can."  
  
"It's a plan," Page said smiling, "And Mark, thanks for starting to talk to me. It means a lot to me. Having someone in the house that acknowledges my existence."  
  
Mark smiled, he had grown fond Page in the little time they had talked, "No prob. sis. I'm sorry it took me this long to talk to you."  
  
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August 1898. Brooklyn Orphanage. New York  
  
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'Took you long enough!' Christi exclaimed as Sydney packed their belongings, 'For a while there I thought you planned on staying here forever!'  
  
'I sorta was, I don't see why we've got to leave,' Sydney thought, 'I kinda like the orphanage and I don't really want to go. I mean where are we going to go anyway?'  
  
'Because as nice as everyone has been to you here, they are going to betray you eventually,' Christi retorted.  
  
'They might not!'  
  
'They will, none of them are true friends,' Christi said coldly, 'If you told them about me, we would be back in the mental hospital before I could say 'I told you so!''  
  
'Okay, fine you win! I just don't think having a friend here and there is gonna hurt us. Actually I think it would do us good.' Sydney reasoned.  
  
'Don't tell me you forgot about Mark. The whole reason we're here!' Christi replied angrily. Sydney's heart sank at the mention of Mark.  
  
"Don't bring Mark into this," Sydney said bitterly, 'Shit! I gotta stop talking to you out loud. I keep doing it more and more.'  
  
Sydney was extremely worried. Before Christi was just a friend she could talk to, but now, Christi could talk Sydney into doing things she didn't want to, and occasionally would even take control over Sydney's body.  
  
'What are you thinking about?' Christi asked, interrupting Sydney's thoughts.  
  
'Just thinking about what awaits us out there, in the real world,' Sydney lied. 


	4. Apologies, Cries, and Guilt Trips

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August 1898. Streets of Brooklyn. New York  
  
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A few days after sneaking out of the orphanage, Sydney was out of money and extremely hungry. She spotted a fruit vendor and casually walked towards him. She pretended to be admiring an apple till the vendor looked the other way. Then swiftly stashed the apple in her coat and quietly walked away.  
  
"Yer purty good at dat," said an older looking boy in a think New York accent.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Sydney asked, trying to look innocent.  
  
"Dat apple," the boy continued, pointing at the bulge in her jacket.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," Sydney said firmly, not about to confess.  
  
"Don make me go get da bulls lil' goil," the boy persisted.  
  
"I'm sorry," Sydney said in a fit of fake sobs, "I was just so hungry, and my parents died, and I ain't got now where to go! I wasn't made to live on the streets. It's just that one little apple would help me survive another day! And I didn't think that that man would mind too much! But your right mister, I'll go give it back, it was wrong of me."  
  
"Wow," the boy said in astonishment, "An apology, a believable cry, a guilt trip, and saying you'll give it back? You ain't jist purty good, you'se really, really good."  
  
"What?" Sydney asked, wondering why this boy stopped her if it wasn't about the apple.  
  
"Oh, 'scuse me. Me name's James Taylor, but me friends call me Jimmy," Jimmy said, holding out his hand.  
  
"Well James, that's umm. nice to know. Bye," Sydney said turning away.  
  
"Ouch. Well I jist t'ought maybe, you needed a place ta stay and some food. And I was gonna offah you a permanent place, if you helped out me and me friends."  
  
'Shit Syd!' Christi said, 'A place to stay, and some food! Why are we still walking away?'  
  
"What about living on our own?' Sydney murmured.  
  
"Whad you'se say?" Jimmy asked.  
  
'Syd you gotta eat soon. We don't gotta stay there forever!' Christi retorted.  
  
"I said sure," Sydney replied as she crossed back to Jimmy and held out her hand, "The names Sydney, Sydney Everfield."  
  
Jimmy smiled, shook her hand, and led Sydney to his friend's hideout.  
  
As I turns out Jimmy was a member of one of the infamous gangs in New York. They were looking for someone small, stealthy, and desperate enough to take the job. Sydney was perfect.  
  
"Dis is Grant, Mikey, Dan, Joe, and Audrey. She's da only goil in da family. 'Sides you a course. Guys, and Audrey," Jimmy added after a glare from Audrey, "Dis is Sydney, she says she willin' ta help us. I caught 'er stealin'. She's good."  
  
"I wouldn't say dat, if ya caught 'er," Joe replied, smirking.  
  
"True, but when I confronted 'er, she made me feel like shit for approachin a poor lil' goil dat was tryin ta survive. I almost said sorry for stopping her!" Jimmy explained.  
  
"You must be good," Audrey said, patting Sydney on the back, "It takes a lot to make Jimmy feel bad. You must be one hell of an actress."  
  
Sydney smiled, 'I think we're gonna get along good here, Christi." Christi didn't respond but Sydney knew she agreed.  
  
Sydney quickly earned the gang's (or family's as they all called it) respect and trust, well as much trust you can receive in a gang. Sydney loved her new 'family', and amazingly enough so did Christi. Sydney cherished the closeness of the group, and Christi liked the fact that no one really trusted anyone else, meaning they weren't getting too close.  
  
The group went around stealing anything they needed to survive, and occasionally reeking havoc here and there. Jimmy had grown extremely fond of Sydney and couldn't help but feel responsible for her, like an older brother or even a father. He made sure to keep her out of harms way and kept her away from the police. 


	5. I Want Out

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November 1898. Gang's Hideout. New York  
  
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"Okay, this is it," Audrey whispered to the surrounding group, "I had Sydney ask Grant for an accomplice in stealing dinner so we could be alone. Turns out that he is working for the Angels."  
  
"Damn it! I knew there was something fishy with that boy!" Dan swore.  
  
"So we do 'im in?" Mikey asked smiling evilly. Mike was homicidal and eager for bloodshed. Audrey nodded.  
  
"But we keep Syd outta dis," Jimmy said sternly.  
  
"Right, no Sydney, she couldn't handle it anyway," Audrey clarified.  
  
"Shit der commin," Dan exclaimed as the door opened. Sydney and Grant came in, their hands full of food, laughing hysterically.  
  
"You stole all dat?"  
  
Grant explained through his laughing, "Sydney goes up to these nuns and starts crying and saying that her parents were terribly sick, and, and her, her parents, and her 7 brothers and sisters had nothing to eat. And, that her parents sent her to steal some bread, but she couldn't bring herself to steal from honest people, but she couldn't let her family starve, so she didn't know what to do."  
  
Sydney had finally overcome her laughter, "So the nuns got all the food they could find and gave it to us! They told us to come back if we needed them again!" The two resumed their laughter; this time joined with the rest of the group.  
  
For the rest of the week Sydney and someone from the gang went to visit the nuns for some dinner. It wasn't as adventurous as stealing, but the gang had Grant to worry about.  
  
Sydney came home early one day after conning some people out of money. 'I'm glad we decided to stay here Christi,' Sydney thought to her friend.  
  
'Yea. me too,' Christi lied. Christi however wasn't glad they were still with the gang. Sydney almost never talked to her unless they were alone and there was absolutely nothing to do, which was rare.  
  
Sydney stopped suddenly. "I don't know what you guys are talking about. I would never betra.!" He was cut short with a gunshot.  
  
'Was that Grant's voice?' Christi asked as Sydney crept into the alleyway, careful to stay hidden. She stopped dead in her tracks to see Grant lying on the ground, a puddle dark red liquid surrounding his limp body. Tears started down Sydney's face, a wave of nausea hit her. She looked up to see who could have done such a ghastly deed, and found Mikey standing over Grant, a gun in his hand and a satisfied look on his face. She turned to the others, only to see the rest of her 'family'.  
  
Jimmy was the first to break the silence, "Let's go guys, Sydney will be wondering where we are." The group started out to the main street. Sydney ran as fast as she could. Knowing it would look suspicious if they arrived home before she did. She had barely shut the door and caught her breath when everyone filed in. Sydney tried to act like everything was normal, but Jimmy noticed something was wrong.  
  
"What's wrong?" Jimmy asked, pulling Sydney aside as everyone headed to bed.  
  
"Um. nothing," Sydney lied.  
  
"Syd," Jimmy persisted.  
  
"I, I saw you guys in the alley and I saw Grant," Sydney tried to hold back tears, "I saw everything!"  
  
"Shit, well Syd. I dunno what ta say."  
  
"I want out," Sydney said quietly.  
  
"Out?"  
  
"Yea."  
  
"Okay, but you gotta stay till tomorrow. Don't tell no one else dat. 'Else you'se end up like Grant."  
  
Sydney stared at Jimmy in horror, "End up like Grant?"  
  
"You can't jist leave," Jimmy explained, "You'se know too much. Dey'll kill ya. Da only place you'se safe is back at you'se old home, in New Mexico."  
  
"No!" Sydney and Christi exclaimed.  
  
"You ain't got no choice," Jimmy said sternly, "You'se leavin tomorrow. Now got to bed." Sydney nodded and went to her room.  
  
The next morning Jimmy woke Sydney up early before anyone else. They went to the train station and snuck her on a train headed to New Mexico. The train was pulling out of the station when Dan and Mikey walked up behind Jimmy.  
  
"What's she doing?" Mikey asked, pointing to Sydney.  
  
"She wanted out," Jimmy said uncertainly.  
  
"She knows too much," Dan exclaimed.  
  
"Where's da train goin?" Mikey persisted.  
  
"Can't tell ya, come on, she ain't gonna tell no one. Jist let 'er go," Jimmmy pleaded.  
  
Sydney watched from the train as Jimmy tried to explain the situation to Dan and Mikey. So far it looked like they might just let her go. But suddenly, out of no where, Mikey pulled out his switchblade and stabbed Jimmy in the stomach.  
  
"See dat lil' goil!" he screamed in Sydney's direction, "You'se killed Jimmy! And if you evah come back, we'll kill you too!"  
  
Sydney curled into a ball, sobbing silently to herself. "I killed Jimmy. If it wasn't for me he would still be alive. It's all my fault! I killed him! I killed him! I killed."  
  
"You didn't kill Jimmy!" Christi interrupted, "Mikey killed him, not you. Mikey's the murderer. Go to sleep Syd, it will make you feel better." Sydney nodded and went into a deep sleep. The past few days had really worn her out. 


	6. Brooklyn

A/N: Alright kids! Guess what?! I got the newsies in here! Finally! I'd like to thank everyone who's reviewed. This fanfic is very different than a lot of them, so I want to know what you guys think. So review! Thanks.  
  
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Everfield's House. November 1898. New Mexico  
  
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Sydney walked nervously up the entry way to her old house. The house looked exactly the same but Sydney felt a dark eerie feeling that lingered in the entryway.  
  
"Was it always like this?" Sydney asked Christi.  
  
'No. Never.'  
  
Sydney knocked quietly and tried to peer into the dust window.  
  
'Just go in! It was your house after all. Besides, this way your mom wont slam the door in your face.'  
  
Sydney quietly opened the door and stepped inside. "Hello?" she called into the echoing foyer. After no answer she headed to the kitchen then to then to the living room, where she found her father sleeping on the couch, a strong smell of liquor on his breath. She walked through the rest of the house looking for Mark or her mother, finally reaching her parents room.  
  
'I wonder what's going on?' Sydney thought, it wasn't like her mother to be in her bedroom in the middle of the day.  
  
She opened the door and peeked into the sunlit room. Sydney's mother lay on the bed, the cream colored sheets contrasting with bright red blood. A steak knife in Lavivian's hand, her eyes still open but glazed over, her wrists cut. Sydney gasped, but did not cry like she had for Jimmy or Grant. Maybe it was because she still resented her mother for sending her away, or maybe she was simply getting to accustom to death shadowing her and killing anyone she got close to.  
  
"You finally got your wish, Christi," Sydney said out loud.  
  
'I didn't like her, but I never wanted her to die,' Christi said truthfully.  
  
Sydney stepped closer to examine her mothers bloodstained body. Noticing something on the floor, she picked up a paper with an untidy scrawl on it. "Mom, me and Page went to find Sydney in New York. We'll be back as soon as we find her, Love Mark," Sydney read aloud, then exclaiming, "If they mention my name in New York, they're gonna be killed!"  
  
'And who the hell is Page?' Christi added.  
  
"Well, I say we go back find Mark and find out. You up for it?"  
  
'When am I not up for an adventure? Plus, there isn't much for us to stay for," Christi added, mentioning Sydney's mother, whom lie forgotten on the bed.  
  
Sydney shuddered at the sight of her mother's body. It just wasn't sinking in that her mother was dead. She turned away from the appalling sight, and left. Outside was quite a paradox to the dusty house with its abhorrent occupants. 'Just like the disparity of the sheets and her blood,' thought Sydney as she headed back to the train station. In a few hours she was stowed away on a train headed to New York.  
  
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November 1898. Streets of Brooklyn. New York  
  
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"Mark! She could be anywhere!" Page exclaimed as the two siblings wandered the streets, looking for a good alley to sleep in.  
  
"I know, Page, I didn't realize how big New York was. Or Brooklyn for that matter!"  
  
"Well, can we at least get settled and then look for Sydney!" Page persisted, "We've been here for two weeks, and we still have no place to stay. It's just gonna get colder, ya know. We can't spend the winter on the streets!"  
  
"Well, what do you say we do about it then?" Mark asked petulantly.  
  
"We both get jobs! And then we get an apartment!" Page retorted.  
  
"Fine. Then we'll look for Sydney."  
  
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December 1898. Streets of Brooklyn. New York  
  
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Sydney had been wondering the streets of Brooklyn a little less than a month. She survived by stealing and conning people. Sydney had been unable to find her brother and his friend, but luckily hadn't been found by her former gang. Sydney had the stealth and street smarts to survive in New York. But living on the streets was impossible for even Sydney to survive in the middle of winter.  
  
Sydney was no longer a healthy young woman but a frail and deathly girl. Not only was her physical health failing, her mental health was meager. She didn't bother thinking to Sydney but talked aloud to her. Something she hadn't done since she was a kid, before she told Mark about Christi. Sydney was so weak she couldn't steal, she couldn't con, she couldn't survive.  
  
"This is it, Christi," she murmured, staggering into a deserted alleyway, "I give up. This isn't worth it. I am giving up."  
  
'You can't give up! You need to find Mark! You can do it Syd! I know you can!' Christi encouraged.  
  
"Not this time, were done." Sydney collapsed into the snow, leaving herself for dead.  
  
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December 1898. Brooklyn Docks. New York.  
  
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Spot sat as his perch, overlooking the river. Boy did he love being the leader. He couldn't decide if it was which had made him desire to be leader. The respect everyone paid him or that damned 'thrown'. He reminisced on the first time he sat in his beloved spot. The previous leader had called him up there to talk about a fight he had gotten into earlier that day. Spot smiled; that was a good fight. He beat the other kid to a pulp over who would sell on some particular corner. Who would've thought that boy would move to Manhattan and become the leader there. "Ya owe me Jacky-boy," he mumbled to himself, "If it wasn't for me, ya nevah wouldn't have become 'da famous Jack Kelly."  
  
Now that he thought about it, Spot decided to go visit Cowboy. He took one more look at the peaceful surroundings before departing from his thrown.  
  
Spot shivered as he walked down the chilly New York streets. Seeing some discarded clothing in an alleyway he decided to look for some clothes that could be used by him or any of the other newsies for that matter. As he approached the pile be came to recognize the lump was really a girl. Her brown hair sprinkled with the fresh snowflakes and her body curled into a tight ball. Spot nudged the girl but she didn't move. He noticed her shallow breathing and figured he'd bring her to the Manhattan lodging house, since it was closer. He picked her up, noticing she was a lot lighter than he thought she would be and began the rest of his trek to the lodging house.  
  
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A/N: Okay, I lied. The newsies aren't all in here. Just Spot. But they will definitely be in the next chapter! Okay... So now it's time for you to review! Much obliged to ya if ya do! 


	7. No Names

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December 1898. Manhattan Lodging House. New York.  
  
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Spot somehow managed to open the front door to the lodging house with Sydney in his arms. Despite to odd looks from the others he went upstairs without a word of explanation and laid her in the first bunk he saw. Mush and Blink followed Spot up the stairs and sat next to Sydney as Spot left the room to get some blankets.  
  
"Is she dead?" Mush asked poking Sydney in the side.  
  
"Na, she's alive." Blink answered, brushing her hair out of her closed eyes.  
  
"How ya know?"  
  
"I'm psychic," he paused as Mush looked at him with wonderment in his eyes, "She's breathing ya dope." Blink slapped Mush and then brought his attention back to the girl.  
  
"She's pretty," Mush stated, and Blink nodded in agreement.  
  
Spot who had not come back with an armful of blankets rolled his eyes, "Da goil's practically dead and you'se talkin' bout how pretty she is? Get outta heah you dopes."  
  
"We'll she is," Blink said as him and Mush left the bunkroom.  
  
After arranging the blankets so all of Sydney was covered, with the exception of her face, Spot headed down to the kitchen, hoping to find some soup or broth for her. With no avail he headed over to the Jacob's house. Surely David's mother would have something warm for the girl.  
  
Spot stood in front of the Jacob's apartment. Sure he knew David and Les, he had never met anyone else in the Jacob family. He finally found some courage and knocked on the door. After a few moments a girl around his age opened the door.  
  
"Hi, I'se Spot. A friend of David and Jack."  
  
"Hello, I'm Sarah. What can I do for you." Sarah made no movement to invite Spot in, so they stood still in uncomfortable silence while Spot thought of a way to explain himself.  
  
"Well, I found dis goil in da snow and she's real sick. And I was wonderin' if ya had any soup or somethin' I could give her."  
  
"Momma's making some stew for dinner. Let me ask her if we can give you some." She shut the door in his face and returned a few minutes later with stew in hand. "Here you go. It may be a little watery, but it's all we got."  
  
"Thanks. Um...bye." Spot said. Sarah shut the door without saying bye, and Spot began to jog back to the lodging house, hoping to get there before the stew got cold.  
  
When Spot returned, Blink and Mush were back in the bunkroom. This time accompanied by Skittery and Race. Spot gritted his teeth, "Get out! Blink! Mush! I already told ya to leave!"  
  
"Yea, but she woke up," Blink explained. The boys stepped back revealing the girl sitting up. Spot couldn't figure out if she was scared or happy or anything. Her facial features were like stone and showed no emotion.  
  
"I brought ya some soup. I think it's still warm."  
  
She nodded and took the soup. "Thank you," she said weakly.  
  
"So where she staying?" Race asked.  
  
"Heah," Spot answered.  
  
"No way. No goils in dis lodging house! Dis is a newsBOY'S lodging house," Race said.  
  
"Really?" said Spot, standing over Race, sizing him up.  
  
"Uhh..."  
  
"She's stayin' heah till she's well enough, den she can stay in Brooklyn."  
  
All but two lodging houses were for boys only. There was the Newsgirl Lodging House in Queens, and the 'lodging house' Spot ran. In reality it was an abandoned warehouse that the previous leader had claimed his own, then leaving it to Spot when he took over.  
  
"So, you'se got a name?"  
  
"Yea," Sydney said.  
  
After a moment of silence, "Well, you'se gonna tell us it?" Sydney shook her head. "Why not?"  
  
"Can't."  
  
Spot nodded, "Den we'll just have ta make you one." Sydney nodded, too tired to reply. Spot thought a moment, "Well, I'se don't know ya well enough ta name ya, so we'll think of a name latah. Eat your stew and get some sleep. I'll check on ya latah."  
  
Sydney nodded and watched the boys leave the room. 'At least they didn't ask questions,' Christi said.  
  
"Yea." Sydney answered.  
  
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December 1898. Apartment in Brooklyn. New York.  
  
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"You got fired!?"  
  
"Uhh... yea."  
  
"What do you mean you got fired?" Page began to pace back and forth. They had to pay rent in a few days and paying for that and food wouldn't be possible with only her meager wages as a waitress.  
  
"Well I guess they found someone stronger than me. I never liked that job anyway," Mark said nonchalantly.  
  
"It doesn't matter if you didn't like it. We need money!"  
  
Mark raised his hands in a surrendering manner, "Relax, I'll find a job tomorrow."  
  
Too angry to talk to him any longer Page stormed out of the house. She walked down the street a while before noticing two men following her. She quickened her pace but before she knew it one of the men had grabbed her and dragged her into an alleyway.  
  
"What's a pretty goil like ya doin' all by you'se self?" said the first man.  
  
Page couldn't find any words to escape her mouth, so she stood there, pinned against a wall, gawking at the two. 'Oh my gosh, I'm going to get raped. They're going to kill me," was running through her head.  
  
"Wait a minute. Do ya have a sistah?" the second man asked. Page was able to give a slight nod. "Mikey! She's Sydney's fuckin' sistah!"  
  
"Where's Sydney?" Mikey asked. Holding his fist out, ready to punch Page in the face if she didn't oblige.  
  
"I... I dunno. I came here looking for her. But I don't know wh..where she is," Page stuttered.  
  
Mikey lowered his fist and pulled out a switchblade, holding it to Page's neck, "You know now?"  
  
"No... I don't know where she is!" Page answered, tears streaming down her cheeks.  
  
Mikey pushed the switchblade on Page's neck. Blood started to trickle down her neck when a voice from the end of the alleyway disrupted Page's coming death. "What you doin heah Mikey?"  
  
Page saw several large boys walk towards her. 'This definitely can't be good,' she thought.  
  
"We're in da middle of somthin," Mikey said, turning back to Page.  
  
"Let her go," Mikey didn't move, "Now!" Mikey slowly pulled the blade away from Page's neck, and let her go. She backed away from the two men and found herself nearing the boys.  
  
"Get outta heah, before we tell Spot, and you know he won't be happy you was in Brooklyn."  
  
"And you know he won't be so kind as ta let ya walk away from dis," another added.  
  
"Lets go," Mikey said, motioning for the other man to follow.  
  
"You'se alright?" one of the boys said to Page, only for her to realize that one of the 'boys' was a girl.  
  
"Yea. Thanks," Page said, regaining composure, "No offense but why'd they run from a group of kids?"  
  
"Cause dey was outnumbered," said one of the boys. Page nodded.  
  
"So you gotta name?" the girl asked. Sure, they had just saved her life, but Page wasn't sure if she could trust them with her name. After all it seemed like the two men knew her sister and weren't to happy with her.  
  
"Lavivian," Page lied, taking on the identity of her mother.  
  
"Lavivian..." the girl shrugged, "It'll probably change soon, the newsies don't like long names too much."  
  
"Newsies?"  
  
"Yea the kids who run around sellin' papes," one of the boys said.  
  
Page nodded. "Oh, stupid me, lemme introduce everyone. Dis is Snag, Cards, Blue, Pyro, Jinx, and I'se Thorn," Thorn pointed to each boy in turn, each of them either giving their variations of a hello.  
  
"Interesting names," Page noted, hoping not to offend any of them. All the boys, Thorn included looked tough.  
  
"Newsies don't usually keel der names. Used ta be only da newsies in hiding took up newsie names, but it became sorta tradition. Now almost everyone has one."  
  
"Oh. Well I better be going. I got to get home," Page said, turning to leave.  
  
"Lemme walk you," Thorn said before Page could get too far.  
  
Not wanting to get attacked again, Page agreed and her and Thorn made their way to Page's ramshackle apartment. 


	8. Sydney, Page, Lavivian, or Elizabeth Ros...

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December 1898. Apartment in Brooklyn. New York.  
  
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"Well, this is it," Page said pointing to the apartment building.  
  
"Alright Viv," Thorn decided to shorten Page's name to Viv during the short walk to the apartment. "I'se gotta be gettin' back. Maybe I'll see ya round. Hopefully not da way we met today, though," Thorn said with a look of pity. Page pursed her lips; she hated pity. Before Mark talked to her, he always used to stare at her with his pitiful eyes. It drove her crazy.  
  
"You want to stay for dinner?"  
  
Thorn looked uncertain for a moment, "Spot will probably be mad, but shoa."  
  
The two girls entered the apartment to find Mark sitting on the couch, a bottle of whiskey in his hand. "Got a lette-er from... from home today!" he said, his voice slurred. "She killed herself."  
  
Mark started to laugh; it was a short bitter laugh. Thorn was a little unnerved by Mark's actions towards someone's suicide. Page was overcome with the least expected emotion, anger, "Sydney... killed herself?! After all this time of looking for her and she killed herself!?"  
  
Mark gave another bitter laugh, "Mo-om killed her-hic-self."  
  
A rush of relief ran through Page. "Oh."  
  
Thorn stood forgotten near the door, on the verge of running out of the apartment and getting as much space as she could between her and these psychopaths. How could they treat someone's death like it was nothing? Viv seemed to be a very caring person but when her mother's death was mentioned she seemed almost happy. No one could hate their family that much. "Umm..." Page and Mark turned to Thorn for the first time during the conversation.  
  
"Who'se -hic- you?" Mark asked, stumbling over to a chair.  
  
"This is Thorn. I invited her to dinner," Page explained. Thorn started inching to the door. She would be crazy if she even thought of staying for dinner.  
  
Thorn was about to make a dash for it when Mark laughed, "Nope."  
  
"What do you mean 'no'?" Page asked, arms crossed.  
  
"She ain't eating.. dinner here. Neither are you. And... Neither am I!" Mark said spinning in circles.  
  
"What are you talking about?" There was a hint of fear in Page's voice. She didn't know why she asked. It was obvious she knew the answer.  
  
Mark stumbled a bit, but kept spinning, "No food! No money! No -hic- apartment!"  
  
Thorn gasped. She expected Page to be furious, but to Thorn's surprise, Page was very calm. "I see," she said in a whisper, "Mark. Hey, Mark! Over here." Mark stopped spinning and nearly vomited on the ground. "Mark?" Page said very slowly, "How come we don't have any food, money, or an apartment?"  
  
"Cause I gots this instead!" He said holding up the bottle of whiskey.  
  
"A bottle of whiskey? That's all?"  
  
"I had more but -hic- I drank it all." Page stared at Mark for a moment, realizing how much he looked like their father at the moment.  
  
"Hold on a sec, would ya Mark?" Mark nodded and finished off the bottle of whiskey. "Thorn, can I talk to you outside?" Thorn nodded and the two walked outside. "I know this is out of the blue and very rude, but could I stay with you?"  
  
Thorn was very hesitant on letting such a suspicious character into the lodging house but she could see the pain in Page's eyes, and the drunk in her living room, "For how long?"  
  
"Till I can survive on my own."  
  
"You can definitely stay for da night, but you'll have ta ask Spot if ya can stay longer den dat. If ya stay on his good side I'se sure it'll be fine wid him."  
  
"Thank you," Page said, giving Thorn a hug. "Hold on a second."  
  
Page ran into the apartment and left thorn standing in the hall. "You're leavin'?" said a drunken voice from the living room.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Fine. Be that... way! Bye!" Page walked out with a bundle of her belongings. What Thorn assumed to be Mark, slammed the door shut, "I don't need you Sydney!"  
  
Thorn stopped, "I thought ya said your'se name was Lavivian?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"So you'se name is Sydney?"  
  
"Well, not exactly."  
  
Thorn raised an eyebrow, "Then what is you'se name?"  
  
"Page."  
  
"But he called ya Sydney!" Thorn threw up her hands in a befuddled defeat.  
  
"Why don't I explain from the beginning. Why don't we start walking, this is going to be a long story." Thorn nodded. Page proceeded to explain her life history. Growing up with her drunken father who always called her Sydney, her depressed mother that never talked to anyone, and her brother who wouldn't even look her in the eye, let alone speak to her. She told Thorn about Sydney, and how Mark and herself had come to New York to look for her, about the boys that tried to kill her because they knew Sydney but weren't on good terms with her, basically everything.  
  
Thorn stood speechless for a moment trying to soak in Page's past. After finding her voice, "So what do I call ya? Page, Lavivian, or Sydney?"  
  
"I don't know. Page and Sydney aren't exactly safe on the streets, and Lavivian definitely isn't my favorite person, so I don't want her name for the rest of my life."  
  
Well, if Spot says ya can stay in da lodging house and be a newsie, we can give ya a newsie name."  
  
"A newsie name?"  
  
Thorn laughed, "A nickname. All da newsies have one dese days."  
  
"Why don't you guys just go by your real names?" asked Page, trying to figure why someone would want a different name.  
  
"Some of da newsies are wanted by da bulls, some, like me, don't like der names so dey change 'em, and others just change dem to change dem."  
  
"What's your real name?"  
  
"Elizabeth Rose. Stupid name, eh?"  
  
"I like it. It's a very pretty name."  
  
Thorn grinned, "Den dats you'se name until we give ya a newsie name."  
  
Page smiled as well, "Ok."  
  
After a few more minutes of walking, Page, or Elizabeth Rose, and Thorn arrived at the Brooklyn Lodging house. She carelessly swung open the front door and nonchalantly walked in. "Heya boys!" she called trying to get someone's attention. No one turned away from his or her conversation or poker game. "GUYS!"  
  
Everyone turned, "How's it rollin' Thorn?"  
  
"Where's Spot?"  
  
One of the older boys called from his poker game, "He's in Manhattan."  
  
Thorn turned to Page, "Well, I guess you can stay heah for da night and tomorrow we'll go to Manhattan and talk ta Spot," she turned back to the boys, "Hey guys! Dis is Elizabeth Rose. She's stayin' for da night, and if Spot gives da go ahead, probably for a while longer to."  
  
This time all the boys took time out of their night to look up at Thorn, and then Page that was standing nervously. She had never been around this many people before, let alone this many boys. There were various, "Hey Lizabeth's" and "Nice ta meet cha's" from around the room.  
  
"Hey Thorn," Thorn turned to Page, "I'm real tired, can you show me where I'm gonna sleep?"  
  
"Sure," Thorn led Page up to a room with bunks lining the walls. Thorn led Page to four bunks set off in the corner. "Dis is wheah da goils sleep. I'll introduce ya to da others tomorrow," she pointed to a bunk, "Dis one is you'se."  
  
"Thanks," Page said as she lied down on the bed. It was uncomfortable, but better than being on the streets. Page quickly fell asleep and Thorn headed down to play some poker.  
  
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A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. I've been really busy lately, but I'm working on updating more often now. For this and Unattached. KK, now if you wanna be really cool and do me a favor...REVIEW! If you don't I'll get the Mafia to hunt you down and... well I'm not even going to get into what they may do! But it won't be good. Muahahaha! So review! Late.  
  
Shout Outs:  
  
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Kawaii Julie Sama:  
  
Brooklyn always saves the day! That's why they're so...  
  
Spot: BROOKLYN!!  
  
Yea, that makes sense, Spot. Brooklyn is so Brooklyn.  
  
Spot: Der ain't no woid dat can describe Brooklyn but Brooklyn itself.  
  
Right. Hehe. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
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Sapphy:  
  
I don't like Sarah either...Why I put her in here is beyond me! She's a jerk! I found myself singing RENT too!! Hahaha!  
  
Spot: ::singing:: And now this deadline... Eviction or pay..RENT!  
  
I thought the great Spot Conlon didn't sing?  
  
Spot: Oh I sing, and I sing GREAT! ::singing:: They say that I have the best ass below 14th Street. Is it true?  
  
Right. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
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Sweetgal1:  
  
I'm glad you like!  
  
Spot: She likes it cause I'm in heah! ::beams::  
  
Sure Spot. Keep telling yourself that. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
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AnUNDERCOVERnewsie:  
  
Okay. I FINALLY updated! Are you happy now? You better! I'm so happy you lived through fantastic! I have the number for the... you know.. for your sister. It's 1-800-MAFIA  
  
Spot: Dat ain't 'nough numbas dumbass!  
  
Scary Mafia Man: ::points gun at Spots head:: Why did you say?  
  
Spot: Umm... Nice numba?  
  
Scary Mafia Man: That's what I thought.  
  
Okay...Kinda scared. He wasn't even a hot Italian Mafia man, he was just scary!  
  
Spot: I wasn't scared.  
  
::laughs hysterically:: Sure Spot. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
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TheCrazyUnknown:  
  
I'm glade you like! Please don't get a mob of people to throw eggs at the Walmart near me! EEP!  
  
Spot: Don't worry! I won't let them!  
  
Uh-huh... I'm glade I updated rather than relying on Spot! Thanks for reviewing! 


	9. Sleep

I would like to thank all my reviewers! You guys are the best! Without you guys I'd prolly die! Yep yep! Seriously, I love you guys!  
  
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Sweetgal1: Thanks for reviewing! I would love to read one of your stories! Just tell me where to find it! Yippee  
  
Spot: Can I read it too! Can I? Can I?  
  
Spot? You can read?  
  
Spot:: I'ma newsie! Of course I read!  
  
Haha. You don't ever sell! I've never seen you read!  
  
Spot: You'll see..  
  
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TheCrazyUnknown: Yay for being busy and still updating, eh? Hehe. Thanks for reviewing! Eep! Angry mobs at Wal-Mart! Dude. I so got lost in Wal- Mart the other day. Just thought you should know! Hehe.  
  
Spot: Know about your stupidity, Lynette? It's hard to miss!  
  
You're the NEWSIE who can't read!  
  
Spot: Yes I can!  
  
I'd like to see that.  
  
Spot: Oh you will.  
  
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Sapphy: Thanks for reviewing! Oh! And Spot said he had something to talk to you about..  
  
Spot: ::turns in circles trying to get a good view of his butt:: No Sapphy, I think I got's da best ass below 14th street, hell, I gots da best butt evah. But den again, ::suddenly becomes overconfident and smirks:: maybe I need bettah look at yours. ::winks:: Hell, lets have a contest wid all you goils and I'll be da judge. What do ya say ladies?  
  
Spot! What did I say about hitting on reviewers?  
  
Spot: I don't member exactly. Whad ya say?  
  
I don't member exactly either, but it was along the lines of DON'T DO IT!  
  
Spot: ::scowls:: You don't let me do nothing fun.  
  
Stop pouting go read a book! Oh wait you can't!  
  
Spot: Screw you! I can read!  
  
Prove it!  
  
Spot: Oh, I will.  
  
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Silver Petra: Thank ya for reviewing! I love it when they give me chocolate! Hehe! Yummy!  
  
Spot: Oh my god.. Don't give her chocolate.. If anything give her the sane pills!  
  
Spot! You've been nothing but mean to me all day!  
  
Spot: You're the one saying I can't read.  
  
You can't!  
  
Spot: I'll show you!  
  
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Don't mind him.. On with the story! O wait! I don't own anything.. Well actually I own some of this, but not enough to bother getting technical about it. ::pouts::  
  
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Very early the next morning Page and Thorn trekked the long walk to Manhattan in silence. They had to leave early if they wanted to get to the lodging house before everyone left for the day. Page looked like she was about to fall asleep while she was still walking, which amused Thorn a great deal, especially when Page would run into things because she wasn't paying attention to where she was going.  
  
"You'se not a mornin' person, are ya?" Thorn asked with a chuckle.  
  
Page mumbled something incoherent, which made Thorn laugh harder. When they finally made it to the lodging house Thorn ran up the stairs to wake the boys so they could met Page. "Spot," Thorn whispered in the sleeping boy's ear.  
  
"Five more minutes Louis," he murmured before turning his back to Thorn.  
  
"Spottie... Wake up my little pup," she whispered, a little louder this time.  
  
Spot muttered something she couldn't hear. 'What's with it and people not speaking properly! Thorn thought, 'if you say something no one can understand why say it at all!' She said the last part out loud.  
  
"I said, 'If ya call me Spottie or your little pup again, you won't live to see anothah day.'"  
  
"Aren't you the most precious thing in the morning!" Thorn sarcastically exclaimed, "Get up I want you to met my new friend. She wants to stay at the lodging house. Spot this is Elizabeth, Elizabeth, meet Spot."  
  
"Dat's so precious Thorn! You'se got an imaginary friend!" Spot quipped.  
  
"Huh?" Thorn turned to Page to see no one there. "She must be downstairs, Get up! Come one Spot I want you to meet her."  
  
"No! I'm goin' back ta bed. I'll meet her later!"  
  
"Shut up!" said someone from one of the many bunks.  
  
"If you don't listen ta me, listen to whoever dat was and shut up!" With that Spot lied back down and put the pillow over his head.  
  
Thorn sighed and headed back downstairs to look for Page. 'If I were Page, where would I be?' Thorn laughed as she entered the front room. 'Of course! I'd be sleeping on the couch!'  
  
"Looks like she wanted to get up and meet me, as much as I did her," said a voice from the foot of the stairs.  
  
"I thought you were going back to bed?" Thorn said without facing Spot.  
  
"I thought you were nice when I first met ya, and look how wrong I was," Thorn glared at Spot, who couldn't help but grin at their childish banter, "I couldn't fall back asleep."  
  
"Wake up Liz!" Thorn said sitting next to Page.  
  
"Where am I?" Page asked still half asleep.  
  
"You're in the Manhattan Lodging House. Do you remember walkin' there about five minutes ago?"  
  
"Don't remind me," Page grumbled, closing her eyes once more.  
  
Thorn soon grew impatient and screamed, "Wake up!" in Page's ear.  
  
"I'm up! Relax!" Page said sitting up, her eyes still have closed.  
  
"Good," Thorn said with a smile, "I want you to met Spot Conlon. Spot this is Elizabeth."  
  
Page raised her gaze from the floor to meet the leader of Brooklyn. No shoes, faded gray pants, what she imagined used to be white undershirt, a handsome face, with ice blue eyes, and unkempt dirty blonde hair that seemed to be going in every direction at once at the moment.  
  
"Nice to met you, Spot," Page said with a yawn.  
  
Spot just nodded. "Can she stay with us?" Thorn asked, fingers crossed.  
  
"Shoa. But you'se gotta show 'er da ropes."  
  
Thorn nodded with a huge smile and Spot headed back upstairs. 'Probably to go back to sleep,' Thorn thought, 'at least if he gets some more sleep he wont be as cranky'  
  
"So, what am I gonna do about a name?" Page asked, now almost fully awake.  
  
"I dunno. How about sleeper?" The two chuckled. Thorn suddenly stopped and thought for a moment. "Would you hate me terribly if I left you here?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Page asked, not wanting to be left in an unfamiliar place with a bunch of people she didn't know.  
  
"Well I was supposed to go visit a friend in Queens and I dunno if you would wanna walk dat far dis early. If you stay you could just go ta bed upstairs and da boys would wake you up when you'se gotta sell. Der really nice heah."  
  
Page thought about her options, 'go back to sleep and then sell papers or walk all the way to queens to visit one of Thorn's friends.' "I'll stay here," she finally decided.  
  
"Okay, I'll be back later, See ya Liz."  
  
"Night," Page said and headed up to the bunkroom. At the top of the stairs Page looked down a hallway with a couple of doors. 'Oh gosh. Which door?' Page stifled a giggle. 'Maybe it's the one with snoring coming from it,' she thought with amusement. Page walked towards the back of the room, seeing no open bunks. She soon found one of the top bunks empty at the back of the room. Page walked up to the bunk and found Spot reading a day old newspaper (A/N: OMG! He DOES read! ::faints in shock::).  
  
"Couldn't go back to sleep?" Page asked with a smile.  
  
"Nope. Once I'm up, I'm up." He said with a sad smile.  
  
"Sorry, I guess that would be my fault." Page said climbing up to the top bunk.  
  
"Don't worry 'bout it kid," Spot said with a laugh, "You'se gotta get up in less den half an hour anyway."  
  
"I better get some sleep then, shouldn't I?" Page said closing her eyes.  
  
-----------------------------  
  
A/N: Okay. That's all you guys get tonight. I got stuff to do for THESPIAN CONFERENCE tomorrow! YAY! If any of you live in AZ and are going to that tomorrow maybe I'll see ya there! Yipee!  
  
Omg! Spot can read! Hehe.  
  
Spot: I told ya I'd prove you wrong.  
  
Yes you did. I'm proud of you Spot!  
  
Anyway, I hope you guys liked this pretty pointless chapter. I probably should've cleaned my room instead of writing this but I was in the mood to write it! Welperz, review please! Thank ya mucho! 


	10. Solitaire

-----------------------------------  
  
December 1898. Manhattan Lodging House. New York.  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
"I told ya! I told ya all!" Race yelled next to Page's bunk, "We should've nevah let dat goil stay in da lodgin' house! Look! Look! Now der's two of 'em! Der multiplyin'!"  
  
"Calm down Race!" Jack yelled, walking sleepily over to the bunk where Race stood, "Now. What cho talkin' bout?"  
  
"Der multiplyin'!! Look! Here's anothah one!" Race repeated, pointing at the still sleeping Page.  
  
"Spot!" Jack yelled, and waited for Spot to join the two at the bunk. As soon as Spot did, he continued, "Spot, dis lodgin' house don't allow goils. I know I said the other one could stay, but now you'se takin' advantage of our hospitality."  
  
"She didn't even stay heah, Jack. So just calm down a minute and stop accusing peoples. Thorn dropped her off dis mornin. I'm supposed ta show 'er da ropes."  
  
"See Race," Jack said, patting the small Italian on the back, "No need ta worry. No goils are takin' over da lodgin' house."  
  
"I still don't like it," Race said, crossing his arms and chewing on his cigar, "Don't like it one bit!"  
  
Spot rolled his eyes, and turned his attention to waking Page. "Should've nevah let ya go back ta bed dis mornin'. I knew you wasn't gonna get up," he mumbled under his breath.  
  
"Five more minutes," Page said, hiding her head under her pillow.  
  
"Fine, but only five!" Spot yelled walking to the other side of the room to check on his mystery girl. "How you feeling?"  
  
"Better," she said, a little louder than a whisper.  
  
"Think ya can sell today?" Sydney nodded and tried to get out of bed. Spot held out his arm, to offer support and she gratefully took it.  
  
"I think I'll be alright," she said letting go of his arm and walking unsteadily to the washroom. A few feet from the doorway she fell to the ground and started furiously crawling to a stall. Inside you could hear Sydney regurgitating what little food she had eaten during her stay at the lodging house.  
  
"I think she needs some more rest," Jack voiced to Spot after listening to Sydney vomit once more. Spot nodded in agreement, "If ya want, Spot. I can show da other goil da ropes and you can stay heah with Miss Sickly."  
  
"Danks Jack. I'll wake 'er up right now."  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
December 1898. Manhattan Distribution Office. New York.  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
Jack stood in the front of the line with Page. "So you got a nickname yet, kid?" he asked trying to break the ice.  
  
"No," she said, looking at all the other boys in line. "Are there any other girl newsies?" she asked, feeling out of place.  
  
"Shoa, but not many. And barely any 'round heah. Da only lodgin' houses dat allow goils is in Queens and Brooklyn. And even dere goil newsies are slim."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Cause dis is a man's job," Race said, puffing out his chest. "Why don't you go sew in a factory or sumthin'?"  
  
"Race..." Jack warned.  
  
"It's okay Jack. I don't take offense," Page reassured. Then turning to Race, "But if this is a man's job, why are you here?"  
  
Jack stifled a laugh and Race scowled, "I just don't think goils are cut out ta be newsies."  
  
"Shoa," Page said, trying to mimic his New York accent, before turning to buy her papes.  
  
"And you wonder why you have no goil," Jack said with a laugh, before following Page and buying papes himself.  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
December 1898. Streets of Manhattan. New York.  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
"Alright," Jack said as they finally found a decent selling spot in a park, "It's a little harder den it looks, but sellin' papes isn't dat hard if you got a good teacher. And you got me so you're..."  
  
"Screwed?" Page said with a smirk.  
  
Jack rolled his eyes, "With you're talent; yes. Anyway, all ya do is find a good article. Like... dis," he said pointing to a article that read 'small factory fire injures 3 workers.' "Den you'se gotta use your brain and improve it." Jack stood up straight holding a paper in his hand and yelled out, "Huge fire destroys three neighboring factories! Hundreds dead and many more injured!"  
  
Page laughed as about a dozen people stopped their monotonous lives and bought a paper. After thanking each and every customer with his award winning smile, Jack turned back to Page, "Got it?"  
  
"Yeah. Look in the paper for a good article. Think for a moment. Then yell out a random headline that has nothing to do with the article you found and con people for money," Page said with a laugh.  
  
"You'se a natural! Now, it's your turn."  
  
Page nodded and looked in her paper for a good headline. After finding nothing, she tried to think of other stories she had heard newsies yell out when she lived in the apartment with Mark. Before he spent all their money on booze; before he lost his job. "Mayor caught in bed with his wife's sister!!" she finally yelled out. Quite happy with herself, she waited for the people to come and buy from here. Maybe she would sell more then Jack on her first day.  
  
After noticing no one was coming to buy a pape, she looked at Jack in bafflement. He gave a good natured laugh, "Dat ain't da way reporters would phrase a headline. And.. Da mayor's wife ain't got a sistah."  
  
"Oh," Page said, feeling incredibly stupid.  
  
Jack smile, "Don't worry kid. You'll get bettah, I know ya will."  
  
"I don't know. Maybe I should just go work in a factory," Page said with a sigh.  
  
"Don't listen ta Race. He don't know nothin'. Just a stupid, short, gambler," Jack said with a smirk.  
  
"Gambler? As in cards?" Page said with enthusiasm.  
  
"Yea, as in cards. You play pokah?"  
  
"No, never had anyone to play with. But I love solitaire!"  
  
Jack paused a moment, "Solitaire, eh? I'm thinkin' that's your new nickname."  
  
Page thought a moment, "Solitaire... I like it!"  
  
Jack smiled, "Good. Now let's sell these papes!"  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
A/N: Otay! Another chappie done, and another to come!! (I rhyme!!) Anyway! This would've came out sooner, but my computer deleted the beginning that I already had written and I was very mad! Cause I really liked the first beginning! And we all know, you can never phrase it as well as the first time!! But anyway, I'm over it now! And now that Unattached is over ::tear:: I have more time to update this fic!! Yay! Anyway, I'm babbling now! I think I'll put some of my characters in charge of shout outs today...  
  
SHOUT OUTS!!  
  
Spot: I don't believe she let us do these all on out own!!  
  
Race: I know!!! We could have a lot of fun with this!! ::grins evilly::  
  
You should at least wait till I leave the room before you talk about "having fun with this."  
  
Boys: ::whistle innocently::  
  
Right. ::leaves::  
  
Race: I don't believe she's letting us do this still!  
  
Page: She's not. She sent me in here to do shout outs.  
  
Boys: Dangit!!  
  
Page: You guys can still have fun though. I'll just happen to look the other way while you do it.  
  
Boys: ::cheer::  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
Silver Petra:  
  
Page: Thanks for reviewing!! I was surprised that Spot could read too!  
  
Spot: Hey!!  
  
Page: Well I was!!  
  
Race: Me too...  
  
Spot: Why I otta...  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
anUNDERCOVERnewsie:  
  
Page: I'm assuming Lynette will understand all that, and laugh. But me, Race, and Spot. The normal people in the room, have no idea what you're talking about! But thanks for reviewing!!  
  
Spot: Army? Take over Walmarts?! God... I thought you said you wouldn't let Lynette and Sami meet!?  
  
Race: ::whispers:: I think he memorized what he was reading too.  
  
Spot: Pleas God! Do this not for me! But for the sake of humanity!  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
Sapphy:  
  
Page: Thanks for reviewing!! You have to be the only person in the world that thought Spot can read...  
  
Spot: I CAN READ!!  
  
Race: And I'm a six foot Russian.  
  
Spot: You are?!  
  
Race: ::smacks Spot for stupidity, starting a fight::  
  
Page: Anywho! Yeah, we live in Arizona too!! Are you wishing for snow also?!  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
Hearts:  
  
Page: Thanks for reviewing! I am ten years old!!  
  
Race: Youngin!  
  
Spot: Don't pick on the kid!!  
  
Page: Don't call me kid!!  
  
Spot: I was defending you!  
  
Page: Ohh..  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
Page: Okay... That's all the shoutouts! Our work is done here!  
  
Spot: No it's not.  
  
Page: It's not?  
  
Race: Nope, now we gotta beg the readers to review!  
  
Page: Ohh... Hey readers! Please review!!  
  
Race: You can't ask 'em to! We gotta!  
  
Page: Why?  
  
Spot: Cause we're hunks and the readers love us!  
  
Page: ::stifles laughter::  
  
Boys: Please review!! It is greatly appreciated!! ::gives sexy smiles::  
  
Page: And to anyone who reads but doesn't review... You should try it!! ^_^ It makes Lynette type faster! ::winks:: 


	11. You're Why I'm Here

  
December 1898. Manhattan Lodging House. New York.  
  
-----------------------------------

Spot finally got Sydney back into bed and was stroking her hair as she tried to fall asleep. Color was slowly coming back to her cheeks but her eyes remained void and dull. She opened her eyes and turned to Spot, "What's it like?"

Spot jumped, not noticing she was awake, "Bein' a newsie? Oh it's great. Go where ya want, do as ya please…"

Sydney shook her head, "Not being a newsie. Having a family."

Spot raised an eyebrow, "I ain't got a family. Dat's why I'm a newsie."

Sydney smiled, "The newsies are your family, are they not?"

Spot thought for a moment, returning the smile, "Yea, I guess your right."

"So what's it like?"

Spot grinned, "It's the best. You've always got someone to back you up, someone to trust, someone to talk to, and joke around with. You're rarely ever alone."

Sydney frowned, "But everyone needs to be alone sometimes."

Spot laughed, "If you want to, you can. All you have to do is go to the roof and usually everyone leaves you alone."

Sydney thought for a moment, "Oh. It must be nice."

Spot looked her in the eye, "You could join us, ya know. Become part of our family."

Sydney smiled, but Christy interjected her pleasant thought, 'Don't forget Syd. We can't trust anybody.'

Sydney frowned, "I don't think so. I have to find my brother and his friend."

Spot grinned, "Well chances are they're newsies!"

"You got girl newsies?" Sydney asked suspiciously.

Spot's smile faded, "Well not really. But ya know… We got a new goil this mornin! She looks an awful lot like ya! You got a sistah?"

Sydney considered the possibility. Could Mark's friend possibly be her sister? "I don't know. I might."

"When her and Jack get back from selling papes, you can met her. She seems pretty nice."

'Sure she is,' said Christy, 'Meet her now so we can leave already. We're in enough danger as it is.'

Sydney shook her head, "Can I meet her now?"

Spot shrugged, "I suppose you're well enough. Everyone's probably at Tibby's right now too."

-----------------------------------  
  
December 1898. Streets of Manhattan. New York.  
  
-----------------------------------

Sydney leaned on Spot as they made their way to Tibby's. "So who do I introduce you as?" Spot asked, still not knowing her name.

Sydney shrugged, "I don't know."

Spot slowed down and turned to Sydney, "You can't even give me a fake name till we get ya a nickname?"

"Lavivian," Sydney said. She shuddered, 'Why did I give him my mother's name?'

'Because you're stupid,' Christy said bluntly.

"Shut up."

Spot looked at Sydney funny, "I didn't say nothing."

'Good going,' Christy said laughing.

Sydney mumbled, "Sorry," and the two continued on their way.

-----------------------------------  
  
December 1898. Tibby's. New York.  
  
-----------------------------------

Jack stood on a chair and quieted the newsies, "Guys! Shuddup! Ok, dis is Solitaire! She's a great kid so be nice to her or I'll break your neck!" He pulled Page up on the chair next to him. She wave nervously, never being around this many people before.

The two got down and found seats across from Kid Blink and Mush. "Heya Solitaire, Jack," they said taking a moment from their food.

"Heya fellas," Jack answered smirking at Page.

She smiled and blushed. Over the day she had come to like Jack a lot and was sure a crush was developing. Race walked in, dusting the snow off his jacket, and waking over, "Heya Blink, Mush, Jack!" His eyes fell on Page and he scowled, "Goil."

Page stood up and stared him down, even though she was a bit shorter then him, "The name's solitaire."

The three sitting laughed and Race's face reddened with anger, "Who you think you are? You lucky I'se don't hit little goils!" He turned around and stormed out of the building.

Page just stood there watching him leave, "I didn't mean to make him mad," she said retaking her seat.

Jack patted her on the back, "Don't worry, he desoives it." 

Blink and Mush started laughing again. "That… was… classic," Blink said between his gasps for air.  


Spot and Sydney entered and made their way around till they found Jack, "Hey Jacky boy." Page looked at the girl standing behind him, and noticed something familiar about her. Perhaps it was the fact that they looked so much alike it was scary.

"Sydney?" she whispered quietly, hoping the others would notice.

Sydney's ears perked up and she turned her attention to whoever Spot was talking to. That's when she saw her. The resemblance was inconceivable. The two just stared at each other neither saying a word.

"Do you two know each other?" Jack asked, the four boys just staring at Sydney, then Page, then back at Sydney again.

"Not personally," Page said quietly, then returning her gaze to Sydney, "You're why I'm here."

Sydney laughed, "_You're_ why _I'm _here."

------------------

A/N: Hey!! Do you believe this? I'm updating!! I am sooo sorry it's taken this long! I've been really, really busy with school and the play. Last week I thought I was going crazy cuz I didn't' get to sleep at all! It was bad. But it's spring break now so I have a week to try and update everything at least once. I dunno if that will happen, but I'm hoping!!

THANK YOU SAMI, SAPPHY, AND HEARTS FOR REVIEWING!!!

Now please review so I know you're all still reading this and know if I should keep going with this. It is coming to an end though. Probably only a couple more chapters!!

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!


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